Tracy, dressed in jeans, and a dark gray long johns knit shirt, that clung to her hips unfashionably, her flat footed soft moccasins hugging her calves, fringed and laced, sat at the keyboards as the sound engineer directed the musicians who had gathered on the small stage. His name was Thorburn Marley, and he was fairly well-known in most circles, although Tracy had never worked with him and found him far less organized compared to Michael. They all called him Thor.
Casey had managed to limp in behind Jancie Morell, the girl Tracy was going to call before all the mess with finals and Danny cropped up. She stared pointedly at the keyboard, lacing her fingers softly in a melody only she could hear, pretending not to notice as the others were placed and spaced. It wasn't billed as a reunion, thanks to Richard's timely intervention, and wouldn't be even slightly alluded to as one, even though all four of them would be on stage at one time. Only one Pepper's song would be played, and that was not going to be a Casey lead. He wasn't going to skate into this unscathed and profit.
Julian was the sole drummer on set, but there were a number of headlining singers none of them had ever worked with. Out of everybody, Tracy was the only one with a currently thriving solo career, and immediately marketing albums. She wasn't put off by this, just knew where the pecking order lay. Pepper's as a whole had easily been the biggest group of the decade, but it was a new decade now and new waves of music were building followings.
Julian was lost in his own world, headphones on, as he went through riff after riff tuned out to the technical stuff. Bridget was leaning her hip against a stool, her preferred perch on a stage this size, which wasn't very big, nor were the lights terribly interesting. She strummed her guitar as Casey, making himself important argued with Thor. Three others perched against stools as well, all guitarists, all parts of other bands, but well-known bands. And then Jancie, standing with her hands on her hips, trying to get in on the debate between Casey and Thor.
Seriously.
Tracy glanced at them and then away.
It wouldn't be long, she thought, before she simply got up and left. They'd had their chance at a run-through. She didn't have all night. She peeked back at the fairly crowded ballroom with its open air seating clear out to the slopes. Raine was seated at a white table-clothed round near the front where a single waitress was offering drinks to others who were waiting for the sound check now that the rehearsal was under way.
Tracy felt her blood pressure rising, tension in her back attested to her impatience.
She wanted to see Danny, had played the part of Raine's girlfriend all day, and was lonely for her boy. Not that she wasn't immensely enjoying being Raine's girlfriend, she was. But her mind was half way on the little guy back at Austin's.
She thought about taking him night skiing.
She thought about taking Raine hot tubbing. She thought about another kiss. And her headache blossomed aggravatingly. She stopped playing, pulled her knees up and rocked back wrapping her arms around her face locked into her boney kneecaps--- hard. Even pressure didn't help.
Forcing air in and out as slowly as she could hold it, she finally signaled Julian who stopped beating the heck out of his drums and twirled his sticks in the air, watching her. He pointed one stick at his forehead and when she nodded, eyes watering, he twirled the sticks back to their holder and got up.
"Hey Case. We've had enough for tonight. I'm taking the girls back to the cabin. We'll see you and Jolie tomorrow, okay?" He didn't wait for an answer as Bridget put her guitar down and the others did likewise, whispering among themselves in relief. Raine jumped up to escort Tracy who he could tell was on the verge of another migraine.
When he went to take her hand, he literally leaped back, the heat off her skin was so intense, he felt as if he were getting shocked. "What the----."
Julian turned from helping Bridget down, his brows rising. "What?"
"She's got a fever like you wouldn't believe." Raine tried to touch her again, and she warded him off, but he insisted and got shocked again. This time it wasn't a surprise, he felt it clear to his toes. He yanked his hand back, holding the wrist where it felt like every single bone was being pricked by needles.
Richard Mann stepped past him, with an apologetic wince, trying to look as if what he was doing was for everybody's good but his own, as he reached Tracy, and softly knocked her protesting hand away. Her eyes were closed to the glare, and one hand covered her ear. He squatted in front of her, and gently cupped her face in his hands.
"I felt this the other day." He explained with another contrite twitch, leaning in to pull her forehead to the convergence of shirt and skin above his collar and under his chin. "Hey, baby."
Raine stepped closer, tentatively ready to physically remove the other man's hands from his woman, when Richard leaned back with a small self-deprecating smile.
"Feel better?" He let her go, dropping his hands to her pulled up ankles, he bounced a little on his heels, and then stood up, wobbling his head in Raine's direction. "It's not what you think, bro. This happened the other day too. I touched her and the headache went--- into my hands. I think I've just got the touch."
"The touch." Raine repeated numbly, but Tracy had not raised her head. He stroked her hair, and then applied pressure to the base of her skull and neck the way he had when they'd first met, and it was his hands that had given her a first massage.
"Look, it's not like that. I just knew I could-- help. Forget I did it. If it helped, then great." Richard was still humbly conciliatory, which was mollifying to everyone there, shocked at his sudden arresting behavior. He backed off, jumped the few feet off the stage and turned his back to walk over to where Austin was discussing changes with Thor.
Bridget and Julian were at Tracy's side as Raine lifted her to her feet.
"She gets these migraines." Julian said with true remorse in his tone, his eyes searching Bridget's for confirmation. "We need to get her in to a chiropractor or something."
"Acupuncture." Bridget validated him, nodding, a hand smoothing Tracy's hair.
"How are you feeling?" Raine asked gently, half hopeful half anxious that Richard Mann's strange touch had actually alleviated the pain.
She nodded against him. "Yeah, yeah. It's better. Thanks." She mumbled, raising her face to look into his eyes. "I had a migraine earlier and should have taken more herbs."
"Maybe you have something out of place in your neck." He led her off the stage and kept his arm around her as they found their jackets and proceeded to the waiting warmed up vehicle.
"You should rest, Trace." Bridget crooned as they parted ways.
"I thought we were going hot tubbing." Tracy managed. She breathed deeply, her breath coming out in a long white dissipating mist. "Or night skiing."
"We'll talk about it when we get back to the cabin." Julian said perfunctorily and they all knew he wasn't in favor of anything even remotely resembling those activities.
Jake was driving the van that held Austin and Richard, Raine and Tracy, who didn't talk on the way back at all, out of respect for her migraine, as she lay cuddled in Raine's arms, her head resting heavily on his shoulder and chest, as he stroked her hair.
"I'm sorry." She murmured, as his arm tightened gently.
"It's okay. I certainly don't mind holding you, if that's what you're referring to." His low chuckle warmed her heart.
But Tracy's mind was in turmoil. The events of the last several minutes were baffling--- and yet, inexplicably she wanted to analyze them. She'd been getting more and more agitated with the slow drone of Casey and Thor's arguing, the lack of productivity. This had always been a source of annoyance for her. No big surprise there. She knew how to be patient with sound engineers, and with Casey when she didn't want to make a scene.
Contrary to popular belief, she wasn't the diva they all made her out to be.
But then her headache had blossomed so quickly and unexpectedly. The pain had come rushing, like a tidal wave, or a blizzard. It felt beyond those things. Like an inner freight train. Built for power. Her body wavered, and lost clarity, her eye-sight made her dizzy , and she felt nauseated. The heat was suddenly unbearable.
And as everything started to slip away, someone--- she now realized it was Richard Mann, had taken it away.
Ok--ay.
That was weird.
And...not possible.
It defied what she knew of the medical world, and her anat. and phys. classes.
One person's energy actually did not--- could not--- negate another's.
But his had. And did.
She wouldn't have believed it if this wasn't the third incredible time he'd done it. In Coral's kitchen, after the lift, and now.
Magic. That's what it was. And he seemed not to know how he did it. Hocus-pocus, zen----
She felt her head for tenderness. There was a little left over, but that brilliant inner wracking closed in feeling of pressure had dissipated, literally gone away-- into-- him.
She wanted to talk to him about it. She needed to talk to him about it.
But how could she? She'd seen the way Raine had begun to look at Richard--- with jitters, as if he suspected Richard felt something for her. She blew out her breath, and ran a shaky hand back through her hair. The tangles loosened.
"I don't think I want to go night skiing."
Raine chuckled again. "Then you don't have to. I think everybody felt the same about hot tubbing, if you're up to it, but seriously, Trace, if you're not, It's okay."
She tried to look up at him ascertaining his mood. "Are you a group date kind of guy. Party on? Or would you rather have some alone time?"
Raine considered this query. "I don't mind being social. There's a lot to say for your friends, as well. They are all quiet colorful, and I get along really well with them for the most part. And yeah, I'd like to get to know you better." He shrugged and blew out his breath in a whoosh. "But...."
"But there is Danny." Tracy finished, realizing where his thoughts had led. She was a single mother--- suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly responsible in a way she hadn't quite been before. Something had changed for her with Danny. She didn't feel a sharing of duty, or division of obligation. What she felt was a yielding of care by Casey, and a shouldering of it inside her.
Care for Danny had always been there, but now it was even more intensified.
And Raine seemed to understand. She looked up into his face once more, and there was no irritation. He believed in responsibility. He took it seriously himself, and respected others who regarded their responsibility with honor.
She didn't exactly have to worry on that account, that he might not understand--- and he'd never tried to discourage her, the way that others had. Even Julian and Bridget, her closest friends.
But it was much different trying to establish a relationship with a kid in the background of her mind, as well as her bedroom.
The van pulled into the long gated driveway, and slipped as it made the turn. Raine's arm tightened around her, and it felt good. It felt really good. It reminded her she wanted to explore some more of those kisses.
Maybe after hot tubbing.
*******